


Brand X

by scullywolf



Series: TXF: Scenes in Between [161]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, Tobacco Beetles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-17 22:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10603707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scullywolf/pseuds/scullywolf
Summary: Skinner is so far out of his element, here. He’s glad Scully knows the right questions to ask.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Okay. This episode, you guys. This episooooode. I’m not kidding, I was thisclose to writing it as just some bad dream Scully had. (Luckily, [kateyes224](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kateyes224) talked me off the ledge. Hehe, thanks again for that.) Not only do we have the nasty hiccup of an unconscious and hospitalized Mulder, who undoubtedly needs bloodwork, which would surely reveal the presence of fancy medication for his stupid brain disease. Oh, no. We _also_ have a two-week gap at the end of the episode, in an already-super-tight time window between _Chimera_ and _Requiem_. 
> 
> So. Here’s how this is going to work. _Brand X_ didn’t take place at this point in Season 7. Just like I did with _The Rain King_ , I am placing this episode significantly earlier than it aired. I’m not even going to commit to it taking place in Season 7 at all. The scene I’ve written fits within the episode, without giving any larger context. That’s the best I’m going to be able to do with this trainwreck. ;)

_“A form of, what, ‘super tobacco?’”_  
_“Which possibly could have created super bugs. I guess the real question is could they have become dangerous to humans?”_

“I don’t see how,” says Dr. Nance. “Even taking into account the morphological changes in the mandibles, I'm afraid I am at a loss as to how they could cause the sort of damage you've described.”

“Okay, well what about a pathogen, then?” Scully counters. “Is it plausible that the beetles could have transmitted something capable of wreaking such comprehensive destruction to the respiratory system?”

Skinner is so far out of his element, here. He’s glad Scully knows the right questions to ask. 

Doctor Nance frowns. “The standard tobacco beetle doesn’t carry any known disease or parasite, and even if these ones could, I can’t think of _any_ insect-borne contagion that could do what you’re suggesting. Now, I’m not an infectious diseases specialist, so there might be something I’m just not familiar with. I can confer with some of my colleagues in other departments here and get back to you.”

“That would be great, Libby. Thank you.” Scully looks at her watch, then over toward Skinner. “We should probably head back up to Winston-Salem. I ought to get started on the autopsy for the second victim. Sir, did you have any further questions for Dr. Nance before we wrap up here?”

Skinner shakes his head. “No, I don't. Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter, Dr. Nance. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with Agent Scully if you think of anything else that might be helpful.” He holds out a hand, shaking hers before nodding to Scully. “I'll call ahead to let them know we're ready to go back. Meet me downstairs when you’re finished.”

He steps into the hallway and makes his way outside, taking out his phone to call the charter flight company as he walks. It’s a luxury afforded to them by the Director’s personal interest in this case, the ability to fly between Winston-Salem and Wilmington. It would have been a nearly-four-hour drive each way otherwise, which is time they can ill-afford, with so much still to do. They now have two victims, with no clear connection between them, and still no concrete explanation as to how they died. And if it _is_ some sort of contagion, what they’ve seen so far may be only the very beginning of a major health crisis.

Skinner can’t help thinking about that business from a couple of years ago, with the bees and the smallpox. The parallel’s impossible to overlook, and while he keeps his voice steady through the mundanities of travel arrangement, his mind races ahead. If they can’t find a way to contain this thing, they might find themselves facing an outbreak of historic proportions.

After hanging up with the charter company, he calls for a cab to take them to the airport. Scully joins him just as he’s putting his phone back in his pocket. 

“Cab should be here in five,” he tells her, then looks around. They probably shouldn’t be having this conversation out in the open, but there isn’t anyone immediately nearby. Even so, he tucks his chin and pitches his voice down. “Tell me something. Do you really think there's a chance these beetles could be carrying some kind of disease?”

“Well, I’m not ready to rule it out just yet, but at this point I would have to say it’s unlikely.”

“And why’s that?”

“Occam’s razor, mostly. We already know that the beetles we found are physically different from a standard tobacco beetle, but Dr. Nance still doesn’t think those changes point toward an increased likelihood of pathogenic transmission. That, coupled with the fact that we still don’t know of a contagion that could cause the sort of damage we saw to Mr. Scobie’s face and respiratory tract, leads me to believe that there’s a simpler answer we just haven’t recognized yet.”

Something about the way Scobie’s face was half eaten away reminded Skinner of something, and it’s only now that he’s able to put his finger on it.

“What about the biological weapon we saw utilized by the New Spartans? Could it be something like that?”

Scully frowns. “The effects of that were rather more severe than what we’re seeing here, and they weren’t confined to the airway. Again, it’s not impossible, but it’s still not especially likely. Besides, I wasn’t able to find anything in the last autopsy indicating the presence of such a toxin.”

That puts him a little more at ease, at least, even if they still don’t have any affirmative answers.

“And in any case,” she continues, “the thing that continues to make the most sense to me is the possibility that the mutations we’re seeing in the bugs are simply a byproduct of genetically engineered tobacco. If a tobacco company were going to concentrate energy on genetic engineering of the bugs, the end goal would likely be to render them sterile, or to otherwise reduce the degree to which they are able to damage crops. There would be no reason to change their morphology in the ways we’ve seen. Altering the plant, however, is absolutely something they would do in order to enhance their bottom line. _And_ it would be the sort of trade secret someone might go to great lengths to protect.”

“Then you do think Scobie was murdered.”

“I think it’s not out of the question, but that doesn’t explain the nearly identical death of a man with no affiliation to the company.”

Skinner grimaces. Are they really any further with this case than they were yesterday morning? He is going to have to update the Director by phone once they get back to Winston-Salem, and he’s not at all sure what he’s going to tell him.

“Well we’d better start getting some answers here soon, ideally before somebody  _else_ turns up dead.”

“Yes, sir. I’m hopeful the autopsy this afternoon will tell us more.”

Their taxi pulls up to the curb, effectively ending their conversation for the moment. The ride to the airport is quiet, and once they’re on board the small jet, Scully works on updating her notes, leaving Skinner to try and sort out exactly what he's going to tell the Director.


End file.
